"One, two, three, four. Com'on guys, kick it up a notch!" Wade called from across the room.
The young choreographer sighed as he watched the five men in front of him. He had always loved working with them. Their drive and dedication matched his own, making a wonderful combination.
Running a hand through his dyed hair, Wade groaned. Pushing himself away from the wall, he approached the stereo in the corner of the room, shutting the music off.
"Justin," Wade said in a authoritative tone. "Dude, you're not hittin' this right. You need to put a little more umph in it."
Justin lowered his head as he breathed heavily. Sweat dripped from his face, his shirt soaked through.
He knew that rehearsals were going to be hard on him, but he never expected this. He was used to Wade being a bit of a slave driver, but that was okay because he only did it because he wanted things to be perfect, just like they did. But things weren't working out perfectly. Far from it, actually. They had been rehearsing for the past week and a half, and they were still stuck on the same problems.
Justin had worked hard over the three weeks between his cast being removed and the beginning of rehearsals. He was determined to get himself back in shape before he was required to dance sixteen hours a day, and had spent most of his time in his home gym.
He had returned to his own home a week after the cast was removed. He liked being home again because it made it easier to focus his attention on what he needed to accomplish. He quickly adapted to walking again without the crutches, only using them when his leg bothered him, which was not something that happened very often. There had been the odd time here and there where it would pain him to lift a weight, but he would just rest for a moment before working through it. He had experienced a little bit of chest pain when bench pressing, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He worked out more in one week than most people did in a month, and by the time rehearsals started up again, he was almost back to his normal shape.
Since tour plans were already in the works, Ryan had also been busy. The girls and her were working long hours setting up style ideas. Ryan had signed on to help Lois with wardrobe, since she seemed to be freaking out a little at having to come up with something new to go along with the new set design. She wanted it to be something different, and was having trouble coming up with ideas on her own. Ryan had spent many hours at Johnnys WEG playground going over designs and catalogues trying to get ideas to help Lois.
She had made a point to stop by and see Justin every night, and could almost always find him downstairs in his gym. She warned him not to push himself too hard, but he always dismissed her concern with his usual "I'm just doing a little here and there." Since she wasn't around to watch him, she had to take his word for it.
Looking back up to stare at Wade, Justin sighed. "I'm sorry, man." he said between breaths. "I'm just havin' a hard time focusing."
Wade new about everything Justin had been through, and wasn't about to push him too hard. But every time Wade would ask Justin if he needed a little break or wanted Wade to back off, Justin would laugh it off saying that he wasn't a wimp and could handle anything Wade threw at him.
He was actually doing pretty well considering. But there were still times when Wade could tell he was struggling either with the choreography or with pain.
Of course Justin was stubborn and would never admit to them that he was hurting, so they had to try and keep it subtle that they were slacking off for his sake.
"Okay, J." Wade nodded as he scratched his elbow. "You all want me to show you that last part again?"
Everyone nodded feverishly. They knew that section of the dance down perfectly, what they really wanted was an excuse to sit down.
Leaning up against the wall, the five men slid down to a sitting position as they watched the young child prodigy in front of them dance better in twenty seconds than the five of them combined had in the last three hours.
Leaning over to Justin, JC whispered. "You okay, man?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Justin said as he watched Wade intently. "I just didn't sleep too well last night and I'm payin' for it now."
JC knew Justin was lying, but one thing he had learned for the years of being this mans friend was never to press a subject that Justin didn't want to talk about. Leaning back to his position against the wall, JC watched Wade in front of them.
Wade watched Justin closely from the mirrors in front of him while he danced. He could see the fatigue in his eyes and it showed clearly in his dancing. Justin was usually the first one to catch on to his instructions, and had helped Wade teach the others on more than one occasion. But he had been lagging in the last week. He had started out strong, but the grueling schedule and hard workouts were obviously taking their toll on his already tired and strained body.
When Wade finished the section of choreography, he turned to face the five against the wall.
"You got that?" he asked.
They nodded.
Wade smiled at them. He knew that they had known it all along. The bastards.
"What do you say we take an hour break? Its already after noon and...." Wade was cut off by Chris and Joey running from the room. Chris was in the lead before Joey grabbed him by the back of the shirt, and pulled him back so he could escape first.
Lance, JC and Justin were a little more casual in their retreat. Standing up from the floor, they all gathered a few belongings before heading for the door.
JC stayed behind as Lance and Justin headed out of the room. Walking over to Wade, he lowered his voice.
"Justins really struggling, huh?" he said as he took a sip from his bottle of water.
"Yeah." Wade answered. "I think he's having more trouble with all this than he's willing to admit. He started off great, but I think its starting to catch up to him now. He hasn't been able to prepare as well as he usually has in the past. I'm thinkin' about shortening rehearsals a little for this next week. Maybe just an hour or so, just so he can go home and get more rest."
JC nodded as he looked at a spot on the floor. "I think he is hurtin' too, man. I noticed him wince once or twice. But he's quick, cause it was gone almost as fast as it appeared."
"I noticed that, too. You think we should tell Johnny?" Wade asked.
"No. Justin would freak if he knew we went behind his back." JC pointed as he wiped his face with the bottom of his shirt. "I say we just lighten up a little on the rehearsals and make sure he gets more sleep. I know Justin, he's a strong kid. Give him a little slack and he'll use it wisely. He'll be back on track in no time."
Wade agreed and allowed JC to head out for lunch. Looking around the now empty dance studio, Wade shook his head as he grabbed a bottle of water. "I sure hope you're right, JC."
"Ugh!" Lois yelled in frustration as she threw a pile of papers across the room. "This sucks. I mean, this sucks more than anything has ever sucked in the history of things that have sucked!"
Ryan grinned at her in an attempt to keep herself from laughing.
Lois was losing it. Or had already lost it.
They had been sitting on an office floor at WEG for the last three hours going over costume ideas and photographs. Nothing had made Lois happy, yet. She said she had an idea in her mind of exactly what she wanted, and nothing they were looking at was working out.
"Well, Lois. I know you want exactly what's in your mind, but I don't think that Johnny is gonna let you send Joey out on stage in a black thong with handcuffs and a whip." Ryan teased as she leaned back on her elbows on the floor.
Lois gave her a look of warning before giving in to her laughter. "You know me too well." she joked. "But no, seriously. None of these are working." Lois sighed loudly as she laid back on the floor to stare up at the ceiling. "How do you think Justin is doing?"
"I don't know. Whenever I ask how rehearsals are going he just says fine. He's not getting as much sleep as I think he should, though. After he gets home he eats, takes a nap and goes down to the gym for a couple more hours. I think he's working himself too hard." Ryan said as she picked at her nails.
"Well, Joey told me that Wade said he was thinkin' about slacking off a little on the workload he's got them on. Just to give Justin a little time to get back on track and used to things again." Lois confided as he looked up and over at Ryan.
Ryan nodded while she continued to stare at her nails.
The two women sat in silence for a moment before Lois spoke up. "Well, you know these boys aren't going to dress themselves." she said as she sat up and grabbed a few more books from the chair behind her to toss on the floor in front of her. "Lord knows we can NOT let JC dress himself, the walking fashion disaster." A sly grin crossed her face. "Mmm, the thought of dressing JC......the stuff dreams are made of."
Ryan laughed. "Lois, I don't think its wise to be fantasizing about JC when you're dating Joey."
"What? I'm just thinking, not touching." Another grin came to her face. "Well, not that I would mind touching. I have told you about the time I stole his towel that night in the hotel, right?"
"Yes, many, many, many, many times!" Ryan laughed harder.
"What!? I swear, girl, the boy is extremely gifted, and I dont mean his voice. No one can be that skinny and have something that...."
She was cut off by a loud crash at the door before Joey and Chris burst into the room. Chris fell to the floor between them as Joey rushed to jump on the desk across the room.
"Ha!" he yelled, pointing at Chris. "I beat you! Oh yeah, who's you're daddy!"
Looking up at Joey from his place on the floor, Chris grunted. "Shut up, Phat One."
This comment only caused Joey to dance the cabbage patch and shake his ass around the room.
Finally stopping long enough to look down at the girls, Joey smiled. "Hey, girls. Wanna go to lunch?"
"Ummm, sure?" Ryan looked between the two confused. They were too strange sometimes.
Standing up from the floor, Lois crossed the short distance between herself and Joey to put her arms around her neck and pull him down for a kiss. "Hey you."
"Hey you, too." he smiled back. "Any luck picking our clothes?"
"Not really. Ryan wont let me dress ya'll the way I want." Lois said as she smiled over her shoulder at Ryan.
"Lemme guess? Whips and chains?" Joey smirked knowingly.
"What? You no like?" she grinned back.
Chris rolled his eyes before lifting himself off the floor. "Okay, I don't wanna hear about you twos sex life! I am hungry and that would only ruin my appetite."
Reaching a hand down to Ryan, Chris pulled her up from the floor.
"Where's Justin?" she asked as she straightened her shirt.
"I don't know. Me and Joey didn't wait around long enough for Wade to change his mind about a lunch break. He's probably wanderin' down here now." he nodded.
After agreeing to go out for something to eat rather than allowing Joey to cook his supposedly famous 'something with beans and chicken' dish, they set out to find JC, Justin and Lance.
"Hey, I'm gonna go see if Wade wants to come with us." Joey said as he headed off towards the dance studio again.
"Okay, we'll meet you at the car!" Lois called to his retreating back. He waved over his shoulder to show that he heard her.
Turning a corner, Ryan ran into something hard and warm, her forehead absorbing most of the impact. Looking up, she groaned when she saw JC rubbing his chin.
"Dang, girl, is your head made of stone?" he whined as he rubbed his chin.
Running her fingers over her forehead, she smirked at him. "You're one to talk, Chasez."
Lance walked up to them, smiling sweetly. "Hey ya'll." he greeted, his voice touched with his southern accent. "You guys wanna go out for lunch?"
"We were just comin' to find you for the same thing." Chris commented. "Wheres Justin?"
"I don't know." Lance said, looking down the hall. "I think he went to the bathroom or something."
"Ill get him." Chris called as he ran down the long corridor.
"Okay, I guess we'll meet you guys at the car, too!" Lois yelled. "Dang, we're losing two and finding two." she said. "We're never gonna get out of here in time to eat if we keep losing NSync members."
Chris ran down the hall to the nearest bathroom, stopping just out side the door.
He raised his hand to knock, when a strange sound echoed from the bathroom.
Chris furrowed his brow in confusion, as he leaned his head closer to the door. It sounded like someone was being sick in there.
Just as he was about to call out, the toilet flushed and moments later Justin emerged from the bathroom.
He jumped slightly when he walked out to find Chris standing there. "Hey man." he said calmly.
"Hey Justin." Chris said, his face still drawn seriously in concern. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Justin nodded as he pulled his sweatshirt over his head. "Why?"
"Well, you were throwing up in there." Chris commented as he looked Justin over.
He was pale, his eyes red and puffy. He looked weak and stressed, and Chris became worried.
"Naw, I'm fine. I think its cause I haven't eaten yet. I slept in and didn't have time for breakfast." Justin dismissed his concern quickly as he adjusted the bottom of his shirt.
Chris nodded solemnly as he looked at Justin. Chris knew that he was sometimes hard to eat right when you were on a schedule as tight as theirs. He himself had had times where he had skipped a meal. But with the fact that Justin was already struggling with having to recover from his accident, Chris was still concerned.
He made a mental note to mention this to Ryan later, but let the subject drop for now. "Everyone is waiting out at Lois' car to go out for lunch. Com'on, before she pops that big vein in her head."
Justin laughed as he followed Chris to the door.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Justin calmed his nerves and tried to settle his stomach. The pain in his leg was making it hard to walk, but he controlled his actions carefully.
Opening his eyes to smile at Chris' worried face, Justin ignored the throbbing discomfort in his chest as he stepped out into the afternoon sunlight.
